The Archer and The Greenleaf
by hippydeath
Summary: Lord of the Rings/ Robin of Sherwood crossover, first chapter, no good at summaries.
1. Prologue

_(Disclaimer: I don't own anything! Robin of Sherwood characters belong to Richard Carpenter and Anglia TV. Lord of The Rings characters belong to Tolkein's estate. I'm not making any money from this. All characters will be returned with only minor contusions.)   
This is my first fanfic, so be gentle. Reviews are welcome, though flames will be mocked by my co-author._   
  


**The Archer and the Greenleaf.   
Prologue**

  
  
It was strange how such a familiar place can seem when the truth is known about it. It was coming up to Beltane, and for the inhabitants of Nottingham and the surrounding towns and villages that meant the annual archery tournament. Robin of Loxley had spent his entire life living and hunting in Sherwood Forest, yet this evening, there was an eerie glow to the place and an unseasonable chill as he hurried through the trees to the small clearing where he and his fellow prison escapees were hiding from the Sheriffs soldiers. If Herne the Hunter, the God of this forest had not chosen him as his son, the Robin wouldn't be particularly bothered about the contest, but the first prize was Herne's Arrow, an artefact older than living memory and could be used in the summoning of powerful evil.   
  
Castle de Belleme was an eerie place and there were only a few inhabitants. Nasir acted as the Barons messenger and bodyguard, and this Beltane's eve, he had been charged to win Herne's arrow at the archery tournament for his master, so he could use it in some obscene ritual.   
  
Grief was still playing rife with Legolas' emotions and head, so when he was faced with a crossroads on their path to Lothlorien, he mistook the two paths and led the Fellowship down a route far darker than it should have been. However, they all ignored this fact, blaming it on an early sunset and the rising forces of darkness. It was only when the trees changed from the golden Mellorn trees they had been under to thick, flowering oaks that any of them questioned their direction.   
Boromir was the first to speak up "these trees look unfamiliar Legolas. Are you sure that this path is the right one?"   
Legolas and Aragorn both looked worried. It was true that both had noticed the change in their surroundings. Aragorn thought for a moment and looked around, "There's a path just up there," he said, motioning to his left "we should follow that and see where it takes us."   
They followed the path for about half an hour, when Legolas motioned them to leave the path, "Hide! I hear horsemen" They were all hidden in the bushes when Guy of Gisburne and a group of weary looking foot soldiers passed by.   
Unfortunately, the soldiers were hunting for poachers and had tracker hounds with them, and the Fellowship was quickly found. A shadow loomed over them and they slowly peered up.   
"Well what have we here? A whole group of poachers!" Guisborne was triumphant. It may not have been the Wolfshead and his followers, but poachers were poachers and the Sheriff would be pleased. He motioned to some of the guards to bind them, and the Fellowship sprang up. Aragorn drew his sword and Legolas brought out his knife, while Boromir also drew his sword and stood to protect the Hobbits, with Gimli beside him.   
"What are you doing? We are no poachers, can you not tell that? We are innocent.," proclaimed Aragorn gazing round at the scene unfolding round him.   
"Then what, pray are you? Where do you come from? And what are you doing with a bow in Sherwood? Any one from round here should know that the carrying of a bow in the Kings forest is against the law." Guisborne probed Aragorn with his eyes, his words taking a scathing tone as he questioned them.   
It was Boromir, not Aragorn that spoke first, not moving from his place, but drawing himself up to his full height. "I am Boromir, son of Denethor, heir to the Stewardship of Gondor." He challenged Gisburne with his gaze, never once moving his eyes. "And who might you be? Lackey." His last word was a guess but from the flinch that shook Gisburne, he knew he had struck a nerve.   
"I have never heard of Gondor, so I presume you to be a mad man. As for who I am, I am no lackey, but Sir Guy of Gisburne, the Sheriff of Nottingham's steward." He stared hard back at Boromir then moved forward, his sword drawn, "And you all will bow to me."   
That was the last straw for Aragorn and he lunged at Guisborne, but never reached him as he was beaten on the back of the head with one of the foot soldiers swords. Guisborne smirked, "Bind them and take them to Nottingham, have the Sheriff decide what to do with them" he motioned to four of the guards to carry this order out, and summoned the rest to follow him.   
  
While all this had been happening, and unbeknownst to all others, Frodo, in sheer terror had slipped the Ring out of his pocket and put it on, but was now immensely confused. Everything was as it normally was when he wore the Ring, but the taunting, shadowy voices were gone, and the flaming eye had not appeared. He stumbled off unnoticed, and for a while wandered through the forest. After a while though, he decided that he was out of danger and realised that he could be at risk from Sauron's forces if he kept the Ring on much longer, so he slipped it off and dived into some bushes, just as Will Scarlett and Little John walked past. 

_Authors note: Well, Prologue done, with Gisburnes name changed. I looked on the back of the video box, and found that it was spelt differently to how I had spelt it._


	2. Chapter 1

_(Disclaimer: I don't own anything! Robin of Sherwood characters belong to Richard Carpenter and Anglia TV. Lord of The Rings characters belong to Tolkein's estate. I'm not making any money from this. All characters will be returned with only minor contusions.)   
  
Summary: takes place once Robin and his men are in Sherwood, and they do know about the archery contest. Thank you to Helen for telling me that Legolas would never act like a feeble idiot, and to the nice person who leant me Robin of Sherwood series 1. This is quite long, I'm sorry, but there was no way to get round it. _

**The Archer and the Greenleaf.   
Chapter 1**

  
"Say hello to Arthur, come on, say hello…." Aragorn was dimly aware of whiskers on his face as he came round, and looked up to find a filthy, dishevelled man forcing an equally filthy rat in his face.   
"Ugh! Get away from me!" he pushed backwards to find himself up against a solid stonewall, with his hands in damp straw. "Legolas, Frodo? Where are we?" he croaked as he tried to stand, "LET ME OUT! I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. And I demand that you release me!" He managed to stand; fighting the dizziness from his head wound, and looked around. He was in a dark, dank pit about 12 foot square, with a straw covered floor, and a large grill covering the top, about 8 feet above the floor. He could see Gimli and the Hobbits, but not Legolas or Boromir.   
"Legolas was taken by guards not long ago, and Frodo was not bought in with us, probably escaped with the ring," was the reply he got from Boromir, who he guessed was lurking in the corner somewhere. He was worried for Legolas in case there were Orcs around, that didn't bear thinking about, and incredibly concerned that Frodo was not with them. "And titles have no use here, they just call you a mad man. We have been relieved of our weapons, which I believe are kept near to the grate, and all of us would appear to be in good health," he paused, "apart from your head."   
"Which is fine." Snapped Aragorn. "Why don't you come out of the shadows and help me think of a way to get out of here, where ever here is."   
Boromir started to say something, but was cut off by the old mans blathering again, "There's no way out," he declared, shaking his head and looking forlornly at the rat. "Feet first, it's the only way, ain't it Arthur?" Then started gibbering at the rat again.   
Boromir was rapidly losing his patience with this fool. He grabbed the mans filthy collar and pushed him to the centre of the cell, finally coming out of the shadows. "Crazy fool! Where is HERE?! I refuse to remain a prisoner!" the man continued to gibber, and Boromir shook him, an act of violence which surprised Aragorn a little. "Tell me what I want to know!" he bellowed, finally relinquishing his grip on the man and throwing him to the floor, where he remained, talking to the rat, asking if it was alright.   
"You don't know where you are? Travellers then? You're in the castle dungeon. There's no way out. Feet first, it's the only way." he talked to the rat for a while, "But there were those poachers who escaped the other week, odd lot they were." Then resumed his gibbering.   
Boromir gave up trying to get sense out of him and stalked over to where Aragorn was standing and smashed his fist against the wall. Aragorn set his hand on the larger mans shoulder, trying to calm him down. "Boromir, there is no reason to get like this, and smashing your hands up will not help us to escape." He looked into the Gondorians eyes and Boromir calmed down a little.   
There was a rustling behind them as Gimli got up to join them, "Aragorn, where ever we are this stone," touching the wall briefly "feels strange to me."   
The sat in silent deliberation for a while, when they heard a grating noise and looked up. The grill was being pulled away, and a group of soldiers looked over, "Keep it down in there, or we'll tell the sheriff not to be so easy to your friend." Then the grate was pushed back.   
"Do you have any food?" came a scarred voice from the Hobbits, "ahm starving." It was Pippin, as usual thinking of his stomach, but was only trying to lighten the situation. His reply was a weary glare.   
  


~~~~~~~~

  
  
Will held up his hand in a motion for John to stop, "Did you 'ear that?" as he moved towards a clump of bushes.   
"You're 'earing things you are, probably just a deer or summat. Get a move on, we'll be late." John was eager to return to the camp. He was hungry, and had no desire to be caught by the Sheriffs men.   
"No, I know I 'eard somethin'" Will was adamant and dived into the bushes, knife drawn. After a few minutes, there was a squeal and a curse from Will, and a small figure came running out of the bushes, straight into John, who placed one hand on its shoulder to stop it.   
"Well what 'ave we here? Looks like you were right Will." He turned to the figure and knelt down so he was almost at head height. "Who are you lad, where d'you come from?"   
The figure regarded John with large blue eyes, "Are you one of those soldiers who took my travelling companions?" he asked. The honestly thought that he was a child!   
"Soldiers? You mean Gisburne's lot? My, either they are a lot better than we thought, or your friends were mighty sloppy!" Wills tone was highly sarcastic, "Come on lad, what's your name?"   
"Frodo." Said Frodo, and then thinking that it had been a damn foolish thing to do, "and I come from the Shire."   
John and Will moved over to one side for a moment, unsure of what to do next.   
"Which Shire? There's pleny of 'em round 'ere." Will asked.   
Frodo looked confused for a minute, then found some courage, "No, The Shire, that's what we call it."   
"Where the hell is The Shire? Not a place that I've heard of, and what kind of a name is Frodo?" Will was sceptical, and didn't know whether this was a trap.   
"I don't know, but he looks like a kid, and if his friends are with Gisburne, then all of 'em will need our 'elp." John was unsure as well, but he had a kind heart and wouldn't let a child wander through the forest. "Let's take 'im back to the camp and Robin can decide what to do."   
They both seemed to agree on this, and started to lead Frodo back to where the outlaws were camped.   
Robin and the others were sitting round the fire talking when John and Will returned to the camp, but Robin soon looked up, and when he saw Frodo walked over to enquire what was going on. "Why are you bringing children here John?"   
"We found 'im, says 'is friends were taken by Gisburne. Other than that we dunno who he is other than 'is name's Frodo."   
Robin leant down, "Well Frodo, who are you and what brings you to Sherwood Forest?" he motioned for them all to go over to the fire, and settled down to listen, as Frodo began his tale.   
  


~~~~~~~~

  
  
The room that Legolas had been taken to was dim and cramped, and Legolas was not happy. He had been pulled up to the room by two burly soldiers and thrown on the floor. When he looked up, he saw three men; the one who had captured him, a tall man wearing purple robes and a slightly shorter man who bore a slight resemblance to the one in purple only he was wearing what looked like a ceremonial necklace, and had a moustache. They all glared at him. He stood, and bowed, as he had been taught manners, and as these men looked like authority he thought it might be a good idea to show some of them.   
"Why have I been brought here?" he asked, keeping his voice calm and level, using every bit of self-control he had.   
The man in purple laughed. "Ha! So your poachers now have manners do they Robert?" he turned to the man with the moustache. "Looks like Gisburne made a fool of himself again, this man is not one of the escaped wolfsheads."   
The man who Legolas assumed was Gisburne glared, and stepped closer to Legolas. He grabbed the Elf's chin, "Who are you, and what were you doing breaking the law of venison?" he turned to the other two men, "He and two of the others were carrying bows, and all were carrying swords of some sort."   
Legolas flinched back, and pulled himself up to his full height, Gisburnes nails catching on his face slightly. "I am Prince Legolas of Mirkwood. My friends and I were not aware that we had broken any laws, we are strangers to this land."   
"A Prince? Of what kingdom? I've never heard of the 'Mirkwood' place, yet you speak English, so you can't be European." Inquired Gisburne, his tone full of malice.   
"I assure you sirs, that I am a Prince, though it would appear, I am not from anywhere you are familiar with, which concerns me, and though I understand much of what you say, I find your language strange." Legolas crossed his arms behind his back, and thought for a while. He could understand these men, though they had strange accents, and some of their words made no sense.   
"Gisburne! What are you doing arresting a Prince and his consort, we have to free them!"   
"Yes my brother, but how, without making complete fools of ourselves?" the Abbott was having none of this, being in a bad enough mood over the amount of money he was losing to poachers in Sherwood.   
De Rainault considered his brothers words for a moment, "Gisburne, go and see to the horses or something."   
Gisburne looked decidedly peeved at this, and made to protest, but his master waved his hand at him in a manner that told him protesting was pointless, and so he made to leave, giving Legolas a pointless and exceptionally hard shove to the floor as he left.   
Legolas picked himself up off the floor and put on his most regal look. "Do all of your subjects act in such a way when given orders?" he asked, thanking Elbereth that he had spent enough time in his father's court to be able to deal with objectionable politicians.   
"I'm sorry my Lord, Gisburne is a little, difficult at times. I agree that you must be freed, but I'm sure that you understand that we cannot simply let you go." De Rainault tried his best to appease this 'prince' not wanting the fury of his king to come raining down on him. "We may have a way of setting you free, however, you will have to do something for us."   
Legolas did not look impressed, however, he wanted to be free and saw that these men were not going to negotiate. "It is entirely dependant on what you want as to whether I agree, and I cannot speak for my friends." He replied, barely a hint of his suspicions obvious in his voice. "What will I have to do?"   
De Rainault looked around the room, then at the man in front of him, he wasn't sure what this group of misfits could do, that was until a soldier came bursting through the door, covered in hay and red in the face. Legolas started and the Sheriff just looked immensely annoyed.   
"Weren't you taught to knock?" he looked at the soldier, "No, of course you weren't." he realised that the man was simply standing there, "Well, spit it out man."   
The soldiers eyes cleared, "My… My lord" he stumbled, "It's Flambert my lord."   
De Rainaults eyes went wide, "What about him you imbecile!" he hollered, stepping closer to the trembling soldier.   
"My lord, Sir Guy's horse kicked him and knocked him out, he cannot be revived my lord." He stammered, backing as close to the door as he could.   
The Sheriff lunged for the man, and at this point, Hugo, who up until now had been seated at the table, got up and grabbed his brother by the collar. "Have him taken to the monks." When the soldier failed to move, de Rainault glared at him, "Now!" he ordered. The soldier merely bowed shakily and left.   
Hugo turned to his brother, "He wasn't to blame, and we have guests." He said, seating his brother and gesturing at Legolas who had watched the exchange with interest.   
He walked towards the other two men, his arms folded across his chest, a cautious look in his eyes. He stopped a few paces from the brothers. "Who are you, and who is this Flambert man?" The caution in his eyes had merged with curiosity as he bent his head to one side and waited for a reply.   
The two men looked at each other. Hugo's expression full of paranoia, Robert's full of suspicion. Robert stood and took a step closer to Legolas. "I am Robert de Rainualt, High Sheriff of Nottingham, and this is my brother, Abbot Hugo de Rainault," he gestured at his brother and Legolas bowed slightly. Robert continued. "Walter Flambert is the finest archer in Norman lands, and he was to shoot for me in the archery contest to be held tomorrow."   
At this comment, despite all the manners that he had been taught, Legolas could not help but laugh.   
The Sheriff glared, "Do you find something amusing?"   
Legolas matched the glare, "No my lord, but no man has ever matched my skills with a bow, and I was thinking it a shame that I could not challenge this man."   
At this comment, both men's eyes lit up, and Hugo whispered something in his brothers' ear, who eyed Legolas with intense curiosity.   
"I believe that we may have come up with a way of freeing you," he said. Legolas raised an eyebrow. "As I no longer have an archer, and you claim to be skilled with a bow, I ask that in return for yours and your friends release, you shoot for me in the archery contest. And if you win, you will return the prize to me."   
Legolas considered this. He didn't trust the man one bit, but this could be the Fellowships only way out. That and this was a challenge that his Elven pride could not refuse. "Very well then, on the condition that my friends are allowed to watch, and our weapons are returned at the contest."   
It was the Sheriffs turn to think, but the horror at not having a representative archer at his own contest was fogging his brain. "Agreed, Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, wherever that may be." He put his hand out and Legolas took it in a warriors grasp, sealing the deal. He was the escorted back to the cell.   
  


~~~~~~~~

  
  
"So, this Sheriff is willing to let us go if you enter an archery contest?" Boromir's tone was more than incredulous "May I ask why?"   
Aragorn had to admit that the tale that Legolas had just repeated was strange, and why anyone would be willing to let them go, with weapons returned in return for winning an archery contest all sounded rather suspicious, but if it got them free then he was willing to listen.   
Legolas was lumped against the wall looking exhausted. He had a few bruises from the beating the guards had given him on the way back, and desperately wanted people to stop talking to him. "All I have to do is enter this competition, and hand over the prize if I win, whatever happens, we will have our weapons back, so even if they try to force us to stay we can fight our way out."   
"And what is the prize, master elf?" asked Gimli, who, as a Dwarf, never really trusted Legolas.   
"I have absolutely no idea, I took the opportunity to get us free, but if you would like to remain here, then I will go and tell the Sheriff that I have changed my mind." Retorted Legolas, who was in no mood for petty arguments, he truly believed that he had done the right thing.   
Aragorn rested a hand on the Elf's shoulder, "No Legolas, 'twas the right thing to do. It will be good to be free." And with that, ended the conversation for all of them. 

_Authors note: Well that's that chapter. It's had a few tweakings, namely to explain a few things, and to make Gisburne and Robert de Rainualt more IC. Constructive Criticism is always VERY welcome, so please, hit the little 'review' button below._


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything! Robin of Sherwood characters belong to Richard Carpenter and Anglia TV. Lord of The Rings characters belong to Tolkein's estate. I'm not making any money from this. All characters will be returned with only minor contusions.   
  
Summary: takes place during the Nottingham archery contest. A brief note, this takes pace in transit to Lothlòrien, and so Gandalf has fallen into shadow, so that's why they're stuck there. Thank you to all the people who have reviewed this, I never thought that it would be so popular. I'm sorry that it has taken so long for this chapter, but I recently started my A-levels, so college has taken over!_

**The Archer and the Greenleaf.   
Chapter 2.**

  
  
"You ain't goin' nowhere lad. You're stayin' here and that's final. A tournament like this one is no place for a child." John baritone rang clear through the evening mist of the forest, tinged with annoyance and perhaps some sympathy for the 'boy'.   
Frodo glared at the three men in front of him. John, who was easily twice his height refused to believe that he was an adult, or even old enough to accompany the others to the tournament. The one called Will Scarlet was perched on a tree stump twirling a knife in his hands and watching the proceedings with an intensity similar to Aragorns. Their leader, Robin, was still trying to make sense of the whole situation. He was being immensely fair, Frodo had to admit, but that was getting him no closer to the tournament, and the possibility that his companions were there.   
"How many times do I have to explain to you that I am not a child? I'm easily older than any of you, and would a child carry something like this?" He drew Sting from beneath his cloak, where he had kept it hidden from fear of it being stolen. That fear was still present, but he needed to prove to these people that he was capable of looking after himself.   
The look of shock from Robin spoke volumes, and John's eyes narrowed. Will merely looked around and drew his own sword.   
"How do we know you ain't just stolen that? Anyone can carry a sword, but can you use it?" and without provocation he lunged at Frodo, who thankfully blocked each blow, and struck a couple himself.   
The clash of metal on metal bought Robin out of his reverie, and he broke up the sparring. "He may look young, but he can handle himself. We don't have the time to discuss this further. He comes with us." And with that he stalked off into the forest.   
John and Will looked at each other, then at Frodo, who they both clapped on the back and ushered towards the fire.   
  


~~~~~~~

  
  
While Frodo is introduced to the rest of the Outlaws, their leader is pondering his own fate, and that of the stranger. Without realising where he is going, he finds himself once more in the presence of Herne the Hunter. The ancient forest God looked down on his chosen.  
"Your spirit is troubled at the coming of strangers. Know that when those who seek the arrow come close to triumph, these new allies will be at your side."   
Robin looked confused. "What allies? The only stranger who has shown his face appears no more than a child. What good can that be to us, especially if all are like him?"   
Herne regarded him with patience that only a being like he could ever achieve. "Those who are bound by the destruction of evil are many in their kinds. You will find allies who will be of use, as they are driven to the same purpose as you. In time they will reveal themselves." With that he turned and faded into the mists that gathered on the eve of Beltane.   
"What do you mean? Who is bound to the destruction of evil?" Kicking a branch on the ground, Robin made his way back to the camp, trying to understand what he was to do, and trying to work out who the other allies would be.   
  


~~~~~~

  
  
The morning of the tournament dawned clear over Nottingham Castle, and for those lucky enough not to have to dwell in the cells, the air was crisp. For those who did dwell in such cells though, the morning was as dull and as stuffy. For Legolas, this was not a good thing, and he made everyone perfectly aware of that fact.   
"Aragorn, how can I possibly expect to win this contest if they insist on keeping us in here. I need some air."   
Gimli looked on in amusement, while the Hobbits sat and complained about the lack of food.   
Time passed, and apart from the incessant whining from the old man about his rat, all was peaceful. Then the Sheriff arrived.   
"All of you, out." He barked, ordering some of the guards with him to help the Fellowship out. You'll get your weapons back if your friend does well." And left them at the mercy of the guards.   
Legolas stood still, refusing to move. "Wait!" he called out after the Sheriff, who turned back. "You promised that we would receive our weapons back before the contest. I will not draw my bow if you refuse to honour that promise."   
The Sheriff snarled, his patience tested to its limits already. He was loath to return weapons to such men, but he needed this stranger to shoot for him, "Fine." He gestured at one of the guards. "Give them their weapons, but if one of them makes a wrong move, kill the lot of them." Then stalked back to his rooms.   
The guards looked around nervously, and then handed the weapons back to the Fellowship, who all inspected their blades carefully. They could find nothing wrong, so swords were re-sheathed, and quivers re-hung on backs, and silently they followed the guards.   
They were led outside, to the yard at the centre of the castle, which would serve as the shooting range. Peddlers were already setting up their wares, and one such group was busier than others.   
  


~~~~~~~~

  
  
"Hurry up lad, we've got to get them bows up there before the guards start pokin' round." Frodo was exhausted. The outlaws' plan was crazy in his mind, but he had to go through with it to help his friends. He hauled up the last barrel that held various pieces of weaponry, and sat down, copying John in pulling down his hat and dozing.   
  


~~~~~~~

  
  
Legolas was entered into the competition by an elderly scribe who needed several chances to get his name right, and was then taken to the side, and had the 'rules' explained to him by Guy of Gisburne.   
"You will win this contest, or you will suffer the consequences. I do not care what it takes to win, but you will do so. My Lord paid for Flambert to shoot here, and if you fail in his place, there will be more trouble than you can imagine."   
"Are you threatening me, my Lord?" Legolas retorted, a scathing emphasis placed on Gisburnes title. "As I recall, it would be your fault that I am forced to shoot here. Both because you cannot tell royalty from commoners, and because you are incapable of controlling a horse." He maintained his scathing tone of voice, having realised that the higher classes refused to pay attention to anything else.   
Gisburne silently fumed. "I mean what I said, should you lose, you cannot imagine the trouble I will cause."   
Legolas just grinned. "I can imagine a lot of trouble my lord, now if you would excuse me, I wish to adjust my bow and check on my arrow supply." And with that he gave a mock bow walked off towards the rest of the Fellowship.   
  


~~~~~~~

  
  
The morning passed without any great event, some drunken revellers were thrown out of the grounds, and everyone moved out of the way when Baron de Belleme arrived, accompanied by a sole rider dressed in black, who swiftly made his way over to the entry clerk, while the Baron made his way over to the sheltered area where the Sheriff and his brother sat, with Gisburne standing at his masters side.   
The Baron nodded at the two men, completely ignoring Gisburne. The Sheriff greeted him, while the Abbott glared at him, making no attempt to hide his disdain for the Baron.   
A servant passed a goblet of wine to the black-clad Baron, who inquired on the nature of the prize. The Sheriff gestured and the same servant brought over a finely carved wooden box, and handed it to the Sheriff, who took it and dismissed the servant.   
He opened the box and held it before the Baron, whose eyes went wide at the sight of the large silver arrow.   
"Hernes' Arrow. Some pathetic Pagan symbol we retrieved after that rebellion in Loxley." He took a mouthful and regarded the Barons look. "50 gold pieces that my man wins." He held out a small leather bag of coins, then put it on the table in-between the two men.   
The Baron considered for a minute, "I have heard that your man was injured, who shoots for you now?"   
"A stranger Baron, he comes from a group Gisburne took prisoner last night, but claims to be royalty. He shoots for his and his friends freedom."   
"I would like to meet this man, and I say 30 gold pieces that my man will win this day." And he too produced a small bag, which was placed on the table.   
The Sheriff turned to Gisburne, "Bring that archer over here."   
"Yes my lord." And he turned swiftly on his heels and made is way over to where the Fellowship were being watched.   
The small group was heavily guarded, and they sat in near silence. They had been given food and water, but the Hobbits, in particular Merry, were still complaining of hunger, and Sam was worrying over the location of Frodo.   
"Well where can 'e be Strider? What with 'im 'aving the ring, he could be in all kinds o' danger."   
Aragorn looked at the Hobbit, his face full of worry, "I'm sure Frodo will be fine. We'll head back to the forest where we got split up and look for him when we're free."   
"You would be best advised to avoid the forest, lest you are caught poaching again, peasant." Gisburne sneered, having arrived without being noticed.   
Unfortunately, Aragorn took the bait and stood, "I am not a peasant. I'm of more noble blood than you could ever hope to be."   
That earned him a backhand from Gisburnes' mailed hand, which sent him flying to the floor. "If I say you're a peasant then you bloody well are one. And a peasant does not talk back to his lord. Do you understand me?" he practically screamed, grabbing the attention of practically the entire courtyard.   
Aragorn merely stood, and spat a small amount of blood from his mouth, before turning and talking to Boromir.   
"I said, do you understand me?" repeated Gisburne, who reached out to grab Aragorns shoulder.   
The ranger turned swiftly, and grabbed Gisburnes arm, and quickly had him in an arm lock. The multitude of guards reacted in kind, pointing their crossbows at the group. The Fellowship knew better than to make any attempt to retaliate, and the most aggressive move was Boromirs' hand moving to his sword hilt.   
"I don't normally throw my weight around like this, but you, are the lowest form of scum I have ever encountered. Where I come from, even peasants have rights, and we certainly don't go round abusing our rank. You owe Legolas a lot, if you were my subject, you'd be shooting in this tournament. So don't try treating us like scum, or he won't shoot. Understand me?" His voice was barely more than a whisper, but the menace in it left no doubt that he could do nasty things and would have no problems doing so.   
Gisburne swallowed, and tried to shift his weight, only to find that the smaller man had the advantage. "Yes, now let me go. The Sheriff wishes to introduce the archer to the Baron de Belleme."   
Aragorn hefted Gisburne into a standing position. "Fine." Then returned to talking with Boromir and Gimli.   
Legolas stood; his bow and quiver in hand. "Someone wanted to see me?"   
"Yes, if you would follow me." The Elf followed as Gisburne made his way over to the small pavilion.   
Legolas paused as they approached, sensing that something was amiss. "There is evil here, I sense a shadow present."   
Gisburne looked confused for a moment, and then noticed the Baron, his gloved hands twirling the inverted pentagram that he wore in place of the normal crucifix. "Ah, the Baron, yes, well, strange things happened to him while in the Holy Lands, he worships the Devil, or at least that's what everyone says. I wouldn't worry though, unless you anger him."   
The Sheriff looked up when he heard someone speak, and beckoned the two forward. Gisburne resumed his place behind de Rainault, while Legolas bowed, straightened and stared intently at the Baron. There was something about him that Legolas couldn't place, an evil intent that shook him. He hadn't been in the presence of something so dark since he left his home in Mirkwood many months earlier.   
The two stared at each other for a few minutes, until the Baron broke the silence. "You have a fine archer here. I can only hope he is as good as you say he is, for your sake."   
  


~~~~~~

  
  
_AN: Well, I've split this chapter because I'm having problems writing the archery contest, I needed to do some characterisation, and Simon de Belleme insisted I give him some time, before he turns into a nutcase.   
Before anyone has a go at my comments about 'Pathetic Pagan symbols', it's a paraphrase of a quote from the episode this is based off. I mean no offence to Pagans.   
And if Aragorn is slightly OOC, I apologise, I needed Gisburne to be a bastard for eventual plot development.   
As always, I cherish reviews, so good or bad, please, hit the purple button! _


	4. Author's Note!

**Authors Note:**   
I want to say a couple of things.   
1. Thank you for the reviews, nice to know people are reading this.   
2. I am in the process of writing the next chapter, but due to school and life commitments, it's been coming slower than I had intended. I'm glad that people care whether this is being updated, but flooding my inboxes with one line reviews and e-mails asking for updates won't get me to write any faster.   
  
The next chapter will be up as soon as I can get it up.   
Thanks for sticking with it.   
Beth 


	5. Chapter 3

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I don't own anything! Robin of Sherwood characters belong to Richard Carpenter and Anglia TV. Lord of The Rings characters belong to Tolkein's estate. I'm not making any money from this. All characters will be returned with only minor contusions._

**The Archer and The Greenleaf.**

**Chapter 3.**

Jokes were exchanged and drinks were shared among the Nobility. Those who were there to trade did well, and those who were there to shoot prayed that their arrows would fly try.

This was true as each round was fired, and as another set of archers were taken away, the penalty for not being accurate enough.

Finally it was down to the last six. Three commoners who had the fortune of being good enough to make it this far were to compete along with Legolas, who had shown true talent throughout the contest, the black clad Saracen Nasir, whose silence hid a deadly skill, and an old man, the Hedger of Castleton, who despite his age had the hands of a youth and talent with a bow that matched Legolas'. The commoners all looked nervous, John Barley was a burly man, clad in studded armour, but his nerves were betrayed as he fiddled with his bowstring, as did the older William the Smith whose hands were covered in calluses that showed him to be a working man. The youngest of the three was also the most nervous. Adam the Carter looked barely over twenty, and he pulled at his gloves relentlessly, trying to focus on something other than the other competitors.__

********

The bow he held weighted down more than his arms. It tied down his soul and his conscience with a responsibility he wanted nothing to do with. This fight was not his, but to free his companions he would do anything, to see that the One Ring was destroyed he would do this.

Legolas shook his head and glanced around. He stood apart from the other competitors who talked amongst themselves, though the black clad Saracen seemed to be avoiding the group as well.

Then came the call that the targets had been moved back, and the six moved to their shooting positions. The three commoners looked around nervously. The man called John Barley was up to shoot first. He drew his bow, and momentarily looked round at the other competitors. The crowd went silent as he turned his attention to the target and took aim, loosing his arrow a moment later.

It landed with a thud on the target, just shy of the black centre.

"Seven." Came the call from the official. The leather-clad man shook his head and stepped back from his shooting position, fiddling with his bowstring.

Next up was William the Smith. The older, slightly balding man took his place. He wiped his brow with the back of his sleeve before drawing his bow. His arrow sped to the target, but landed wide of its centre.

"Five." Called the official. William too stepped back from his standing position and shot a glance at John Barley, who shrugged. The two then returned their attentions to the next competitor.

Adam the Carter then took his place to shoot. Once more the crowd shushed as he drew his bow, but nerves overcame him and his shot went wide, only just hitting the target.

"Three." Was the call. The young man shook his head and stepped back, allowing the crowd to see the next competitor to shoot.

The man known as Hedger of Castleton was next to shoot, and the last man to represent the Saxon population. The old man hobbled up to take aim, and just as it appeared that he was to take his shot, he lowered his bow and turned to the two remaining archers and the crowd, and looked up at the sky.

"It'll rain tonight I reckon," he said, loud enough fro the front few round of spectators to hear. Some in the crowd laughed, while Gisburne shot him a foul look and the Saracen competitor glared at him disdainfully. The old man ignored them all, and turned back to the target.

Once more he drew his bow, and once more, just as everyone thought that he would fire, he lowered the bow and looked around. This time he remained silent, and after a moment, drew back his bow and with what Legolas considered to be undue haste, loosed the arrow.

"In the black." Called the official, and the crowd cheered. The Saracen raised a sceptical eyebrow, while Legolas felt more certain that there was something not right about the old man.

The old man grinned, then hobbled out of the way and Legolas took his place.

The Elven warrior notched the arrow and looked up at the target. It was made of coarsely woven cloth and mounted on a wooden frame padded with straw. He had practised on similar targets throughout his life, and had no doubt in his mind that he could hit the centre. He shot a brief glance at his companions, Gimli was standing with his arms folded across his chest, his face obscured by his beard and helmet, while the Hobbits were sitting in a row, Sam reaching over with a scolding look on his face, saying something to Merry. Boromir was pacing, while Aragorn scrutinised their surroundings. 

Legolas sighed and raised his bow, setting his sights on the black circle. Drawing the bow he took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. After a seconds hesitation to he opened his eyes once more and checked the wind, then loosed the arrow. It flew from the bow with deadly accuracy and landed with a 'thunk' in the centre.

"In the black." The official called for the second time in a row. The Sheriff beamed, but Legolas merely moved back for the final competitor, grateful that he was one step closer to freedom.

The final competitor, the Saracen Nasir stepped up to shoot. Dressed in black, with his masters' crest emblazoned on his chest, he was a far more imposing figure than any of the other previous archers, and he was completely focussed on his task. He notched and drew his bow in one fluid move, with a brief glance to aim and his arrow was away, and landed in the target, quivering.

"In the black." Was the final call. A small, wary cheer rose from the crowd, and the Sheriff scowled.

********

Abbot Hugo de Rainault sneered as the final archer won his place in the final, and turned to Guy of Gisburne, who had been prowling round the grounds.

"Any sign of the outlaws?" he asked. Gisburne shook his head.

"None my Lord." 

Just as the Abbot was about to retort, the competitions official came to the raised dais where the Sheriff, the Abbot, and the Baron de Belleme were sitting, followed by the six archers who had just competed. 

The official, an aging man bowed to the Sheriff before reading out the names of the three who had made it through to the final round. The Sheriff nodded, and signalled to Gisburne, who in turn addressed some of the guards who were standing nearby. 

"Take them away." He ordered, gesturing to the three who had been unfortunate as to have not made it to the final. The crowd shouted and jeered, but none had the courage to stand up to their Norman overlords, so nothing was done.

The three finalists stepped forward.

"My lord," Legolas spoke up, "as a true test of skill would it not be better for the three of us to shoot at the same target, and set it back, say another 50 paces?" 

The Sheriff thought momentarily, he then turned to the official who nodded. He then set his eye on Hedger of Castleton.

"Fine, what about you old man?" he asked without a hint of manners.

The old man looked confused for a second. "What? Oh, yes, very good. What say you Master Nasir?" His nasal voice scraping at Legolas' hearing as he addressed the silent black clad archer, who nodded.

Distracted by his idea, Legolas had failed to notice eyes on him, but now that he had no such concern, he turned to the source of the gaze, and found himself staring at the Baron de Belleme. It took much of his strength not to cower away from the man, but rather to return his stare, and face the evil that emanated from him. 

He hadn't noticed the Sheriff ordering the targets to be moved, but was pulled from his reverie by Hedger shaking his shoulder as they moved back to the shooting area.

The brief pause while the targets were moved was spent assessing escape possibilities, should the Sheriff break his promise. It appeared that his companions had had their weapons returned to them, the light glinting off Gimli's axe and Boromir's shield.

Then they were called to shoot. Since Legolas shot for the Sheriff, and by default the King, he was to take the first shot, with Nasir, who shot for a high ranking noble going second, and hedger, who shot for no-one but himself taking the final shot.

Legolas took his place, his nerves suddenly overtaking his conscious thought. He longed to make a run for it, he had his bow, the rest of the Fellowship were armed. They could get out of this place and look for Frodo without much hassle. 

He shook his head, mentally scalding himself for thinking such ridiculous thoughts. His only way out of this was to honour his agreement and shoot in this contest until it was over.

He raised his bow and notched the arrow. Setting his sights on the centre of the target, Legolas drew the bowstring back and aimed. Waiting until he was sure of his aim he loosed the arrow and waited for it to strike. It hit the target in the black centre, but to his dismay, it was closer to the yellow edge than he had hoped for.

He stepped back and let Nasir take his place to shoot. Letting his mind wander, he looked to the dais and noticed the Baron fingering the star shaped pendant he wore. The black clad archer took his shot, and the arrow sped to the centre of the target, beating Legolas' shot easily. Legolas sighed and continued looking round. His eyes scanned the crowd, hoping for some sight of Frodo, and though there were many in the crowd of Hobbit stature, he couldn't see the Ring Bearer among them.

It was the old mans turn to shoot. Weary of trying to find someone who was obviously not there, Legolas returned his attention to Hedger, who was aiming his bow, his hands steady for a man of such advanced years. Yet Legolas was convinced, no sure that there was something unusual about this man.

Having finally found his aim, the old man fired, and his arrow flew with great accuracy, splitting Nasir's arrow in two. The crowd let up a huge cheer, and the Sheriff, scowling motioned for two guards to go and retrieve the target so that he could inspect it.

The three archers were escorted back to the dais, and as two mounted soldiers bore the target over, the Sheriff smiled maliciously.

"I congratulate you Hedger of Castleton. Your ability is incredible considering your age." He offered the box with the arrow in it forward, and Hedger grabbed it, raising it above his head in victory. Once more the crowd went wild, until the Sheriff waved his hand and silence fell.

"Tell me Hedger, how come we have never heard of you until today?" he inquired, and watched the old man squirm under his gaze.

"It's impossible." Mumbled the Abbot.

"Not for Herne's Son. Not for Robin in the Hood." his sneer returned, but was swiftly cut off, as Hedger stuffed the silver arrow in his belt, and drew his bow, pointing it at the Sheriff. 

Gisburne made to draw his sword, but the armed archer waved his bow briefly. "Move and he dies."

The grounds were now in panic. Guards moved to defend their Lord, but Gisburne waved his hand at them, ordering them to stay back. 

Legolas took his opportunity to run over to the rest of the Fellowship, who were no without guards. The Hobbits were getting to their feet, and both Boromir and Aragorn had their swords drawn. He turned his head briefly to see if the Sheriff was still trapped, and saw that the Baron was no longer in his seat, and his archer Nasir was bringing their horses round. 

He heard the hoof beats behind him too late, as a guard wearing the Belleme symbol rode up behind him, and delivered a heavy blow to the back of his skull, knocking him to the ground, and forcing him to drop his bow as he raised his hands in defence. The guard turned and grabbed the back of Legolas' tunic, pulling him off the ground and onto the horse. In his stunned state, Legolas couldn't find the strength to fight back. As the horse galloped off, out of the castle grounds, he was sure that he heard Frodo shout his name.

*********

Frodo pulled out of John's grip as he saw Legolas struck and pulled onto a horse. He ran to where his comrade had been attacked, and picked up the Elven bow, just as Aragorn reached the same spot.

Frodo launched himself at Aragorn, grateful that his friends were alive

"Hey, lad!" John called after him holding a bow and arrow tipped with cloth. "Come on, we've gotta get out of 'ere." He put his huge hand on Frodo's shoulder, and the Hobbit turned to look at him.

"These are the friends I was talking about." He said, pointing to the rest of the Fellowship, who had run over to join Aragorn.

"That's nice lad. Now get a move on. You lot too unless you want to spend the night in the dungeons." He pulled Frodo up, and gestured that the Fellowship should follow him. Aragorn shrugged. Frodo seemed safe with this man, so he was willing to trust him, and he had no desire to return to the dungeons.

"Come on." He called. Boromir shook his head wearily, but followed, making sure that the Hobbits were in front of him so they didn't fall behind.

Hedger of Castleton had moved from where he had aimed his bow at the Sheriff, and was now running with the speed and agility of a man not long out his teens towards the same spot that John, Will, Much and the Fellowship were heading for. 

They came to a wall, which they managed to get over easily, apart from Much, who refused to jump, despite the straw bales that would break his fall.

"I can't Robin," he pleaded, but Robin, who had shed much of his disguise, made a hurried gesture as Will started to light the arrows that they had been carrying. Finally the boy was persuaded down, and the outlaws each took an arrow, and launched it over the wall into the wooden constructs and straw stores of the castle, before running towards the forest which could just be seen, the Fellowship not far behind.

*********

**AN – **Reviews always welcome, help feed the muse! And I'm afraid updates may be a little 'as and when' while I do my exams.****


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